Burn Disaster Program Receives Fire Prevention Grant

July 30, 2012 -- Randy D. Kearns DHA, Bruce A. Cairns MD, and James R. Gusler, of the UNC School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, received a $599,920 grant from the United States Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide burn prevention and burn care educational programs in North and South Carolina.

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This multi-state approach was endorsed by state Public Health and state EMS Agencies in both North and South Carolina and will target rural and at risk communities. A two pronged approach; this program underwrites funding, provides equipment, supplies, and materials and teaches local clinicians, medics, and firefighters to train school age children in burn prevention programs. This program also provides direct educational programs for clinicians who care for the burn injured patient leveraging clinical expertise from the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center. Where applicable, additional clinical educators will come from Wake Forest University Baptist Health, and other burn care clinicians in the Carolinas, Virginia, DC, Georgia and Tennessee.

There are two burn centers in the Carolinas; the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Hospitals and the Wake Forest Baptist Health Burn Center. Serious burn injuries in South Carolina are transferred out of state since there are no burn centers located there.

Dr. Cairns is the Director of the North Carolina Jaycee Burn Center at UNC Hospitals. Dr. Kearns is the Program Director for the NC Burn Surge Disaster Program. Mr. Gusler, a Training Specialist, will coordinate the various activities of this one year project.